System and method for channel-adaptive error-resilient burst mode transmission

Abstract

In a passive optical network, an upstream transmission rate from an ONT to an OLT can be optimized by matching a transmission scheme for a channel to the upstream transmission characteristics of the channel. An FEC coding can be made channel dependent so that channels with low error rates can use minimal protection, and therefore minimal overhead, while channels with high input bit error rates can use the level of FEC coding required to produce a desired output bit error rate.

1. An optical network unit for a passive optical network, the optical network unit configured to:
 apply a forward error correction code scheme to one or more frames; 
 transmit the one or more frames to an optical line termination device; 
 receive a control message from the optical line termination device indicating an alternative forward error correction code scheme; and 
 apply the alternative forward error correction code scheme to one or more frames subsequently transmitted from the optical network unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical network unit according to  claim 1  configured to provide stronger error correction at a beginning of a burst transmission than at the end of the burst transmission. 
     
     
       3. An optical line termination device for a passive optical network, the optical line termination device configured to:
 determine the signal power at the optical line termination device of a plurality of optical network units; 
 schedule transmissions from the plurality of optical network units such that the signal power of consecutively transmitting optical network units vary by less than a predetermined amount; 
 receive one or more frames from an optical network unit; 
 apply a forward error correction code scheme to the one or more frames; 
 count the number of errors corrected by the forward error correction code scheme; 
 select an alternative forward error correction code scheme; and 
 communicate the alternative forward error correction code scheme to the optical network unit.